The invention is in the field of nanometer scale materials.
Examples of nanomaterials include hollow carbon graphite tubes with diameters between 1 and 75 nm, and lengths up to one micron. Such nanotubes are produced, for example, in reactors at 550-850.degree. C. by mixing hydrogen and carbon-containing gases in the presence of a catalyst. Strategies used to prepare filled nanotubes include in-situ arc growth using metal/carbon composites and the loading of nanotubes using liquid reagents. In addition, graphitecoated, partially-hollow lanthanum carbide particles with overall diameters between 20 and 40 nm have been made.
In contrast to nanoscale materials, whiskers are crystalline solid structures generally having diameters between 1-100 microns, although diameters as small as 0.1 microns have been observed.